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Our People
Over the next few years, EPA Region 5 faces a potential wave of retirements. While not everyone who is eligible to retire will do so, Region 5's Water Division could lose a number of senior staff members. Many of these losses will be the scientists and engineers who have been the backbone of our water programs – people with crucial historical knowledge and expertise. To replace these key people, we must recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds who have the technical skills and personal strengths needed to carry on our mission and achieve our vision of clean and safe water resources. The Water Division may hire up to 40 new people between now and 2009, including aquatic biologists, engineers, geologists, IT specialists, analysts, and experts in drinking water, wetlands, power plants, and permitting. Successful candidates will also be skilled in project management, problem-solving, grants management, and program evaluation and will have effective communication and briefing skills. New positions in the Water Division represent long-term opportunities
for those who crave a people-oriented environment, and are looking
for a place to make a difference. We typically recruit at the entry
level through the Federal
Career Intern Program, and sometimes
through the Student
Career Experience Program. However, when critical
positions are vacant, and there are no internal candidates, we
will hire from outside the Agency or outside the federal government.
Over the next few years, we hope to build a balanced workforce. Visit
the EPA Region 5 Jobs page
for more information. |
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To ensure that we can recruit, develop, and retain outstanding new employees, the Water Division developed a workforce plan that complements the Division's strategic plan. This will help us find the best team-oriented people, give them the training they need, and help them grow into key players in environmental protection. Training is a big part of our plan. It begins during orientation, in which each new team member is assigned a mentor. One of the mentor's roles is to recommend learning opportunities during the new person's first six months. There's a division-wide emphasis on technical training to improve skills and abilities, and developmental training to equip candidates effectively for supervisory and management positions. Job rotations and collateral assignments are offered to help develop well-rounded employees with diverse experience. The Water Division also advocates family-friendly programs, so employees can better balance home and work. If a career protecting our nation's valuable water resources appeals to you, EPA Region 5's Water Division offers great opportunities. Consider joining our team. EPA's Workforce Assessment Project (PDF, 235pp, 1.5Mb, About PDF) studied workforce competencies and found that employees will need specialized skills and cross-cutting skills to achieve the Agency's shared vision. Overall, 10 competencies emerged as most important:
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